Come and Outperform with PROS
After ~3 years of sitting behind your cold and lonely monitor, aren’t you getting sick and tired of virtual conferences? Well, I am! Although they are convenient and incredibly scalable in terms of information dissemination, the lack of human interaction makes them less effective. This means that even though I can deliver a keynote within the hour of getting out of my bed and probably reach more people around the world, the engagement is shallow and my audience won’t remember as well what I’ve presented.
I have researched this tradeoff between the breadth of reach and depth of engagement way back when I was analyzing human behaviors on social media. And the indisputable conclusion is that, because humans are inherently social creatures, virtual engagement is at best (when done right) a complement to in-person interactions, NOT a replacement.
The good news is that our annual customer conference, Outperform, is back in person this year (May 22–24), and it’s taking place in Denver, Colorado at the Hyatt Regency. And I will be one busy man, delivering 3 sessions this year, for the 3 years that I’ve missed seeing you all!
The first session is a 3-hour long pre-conference AI/ML workshop on May 22. Why so long? Because you will learn enough AI/ML and data science to be dangerous (see abstract below). This session is designed for business leaders and does NOT require any technical background. It’s a short snippet of a much longer accredited course that I’ve developed for UC Berkeley Global‘s AI program. Considering the depth that we will be going into, and the fact that people literally spend years in grad school to be conversant about this subject, 3 hours is actually a very small investment.
AI for Everyone: From Big Data to ML and Beyond
Abstract: The rapid adoption of ChatGPT has created a tidal wave of realization that the age of AI is here. All walks of life across the planet can feel the disruptive power of AI, irrespective of culture and language. And CNBC reports, “AI is not going to replace managers, but managers that use AI will replace those that do not.” So what can you do to sharpen your understanding of machine learning and AI? But what if you don’t have a statistics or computer science degree?
This workshop will provide you with the foundational concepts in big data and analytics along with a deep operational understanding of machine learning (ML), so you can partake in this exciting field of AI even without a technical background. You will learn several popular ML paradigms that enabled many of the industrial AI applications today. And we will use these building blocks to cement a solid functional understanding of AI.
This workshop will empower business leaders with the fundamental understanding and the language to communicate better and work more efficiently with data scientists. Whether it’s building a new AI feature into your product or implementing a new AI solution, it will allow leaders to apply AI more effectively in their business and solve real-world problems.
The second session is the general keynote on May 23, and it’s going to be about Generative AI (GenAI). Despite the popularity of ChatGPT, it is only one of the many amazing Generative AIs out there. Without getting too technical, we will look under the hood and try to understand how it works and address some of the most interesting questions you might have about GenAI. If it’s not as intelligent as it claimed, why it works so well (see abstract below)? If it hallucinates, can we still use it and trust it? Most importantly, we will arm you with the knowledge and best practice to use GenAI.
Beyond ChatGPT: Inside the Minds of Generative AI
Abstract: As the popularity of ChatGPT grows, it has brought the potential of generative AI to the forefront of public attention. But what is generative AI, how does it work, and why does it hallucinate? Despite its ability to generate everything from coherent dialogues, perfectly rhymed poems, award winning arts, and melodic musical tunes, is it truly intelligent? More importantly, how can businesses leverage this technology to drive innovation, productivity and growth? This keynote will address all these questions. Moreover, we will explore some of the good, the bad, and the ugly use cases of ChatGPT-liked technologies and understand why. This will empower you to leverage the vast potential of generative AI tools productively to create the greatest value. Whether you are an AI enthusiast or a business leader looking to stay ahead of the curve, this keynote promises to provide valuable insights into one of the most exciting developments in the world of AI today.
Finally, the last session is an airline-specific keynote on the last day (May 24). As most of you probably know, I have absolutely NO background in airline and revenue management (RM). I don’t even know what RM stands for before I join PROS. I’m simply an expert in data science, ML, and AI with plenty of experiences straight out of Silicon Valley. So what I will share here is probably something that you will never hear anywhere else. It’s a journey of my own learning and discovery (see abstract below).
As you might know from experience, looking at a problem with a fresh pair of eyes (especially from an outsider) often reveals surprising insights that are not immediately obvious. Fortunately, I have many highly experienced colleagues who will keep me in check. And together, we can leverage our collective strength to revolutionize the future of airline retail using AI.
TAKE FLAIGHT: A Journey Towards a Customer-Centric Airline Retail
Abstract: AI is poised to revolutionize the airline industry. By predicting customer preferences, optimizing pricing and inventories, and delivering personalized offers, airlines can enhance customer experience while improving revenue, and potentially reducing operational costs. In this keynote, I will share a personal story that was never told publicly about how I came to be where I am today. This will pave the way for us to explore the building blocks of an AI-augmented retail system for airlines, which will enable a more customer-centric approach to travel in the future. Join me on this journey of discovery and explore how AI is going to transform the airline industry. Let’s take FlAIght together and unfold the future of airline retail.
So whether you are a stats-savvy data scientist or a business leader with little technical background, I got something for you. Whether you are in the B2B or Travel industry, you will get something invaluable from me, my fellow PROS experts, our customers, our partners, and more. The diversity and multi-faceted nature of PROS’ business is in itself a fertile ground for interesting conversations, networking opportunities, and innovative ideas. I wouldn’t miss it!
What are you waiting for? REGISTER NOW! I look forward to seeing you next month, in-person!